There is a very different image of the personified word in Lolita, and I'm going to refer now to an essay, a 1992 essay, Martin Amis by the British novelist Martin Amis.
You might also want to read Christopher Hitchens's letter on the subject Mr. Hitchens is a friend of Mr. Amis's, was a pal of Mr. Boxer's, and he was there in the hospital too, puffing away, as is his wont.